Panel grooving machine



Oct. 6, 1959 v, LADE 2,907,359

PANEL GROOV ING MACHINE Filed July 8, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet .1

INVENTOR. AIMEE 1 AAA? A rroeA/cfy 'Oct. 6, 1959 E, v, LADE 2,907,359

PANEL 'GROOVING MACHINE Filed July 8, 1957 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v INVENTOR. fZMEE M ADE 2,907,359 PANEL GROOVING MACHINE Elmer V. Lade, Kirkland, Wash., assign'or to Multisc'ore Company, Inc., Seattle, Wash, a corporation of Washington Application July 8, 1957, Serial No. 670,560

6 Claims. (Cl. 144-136) My invention relates" to a panel grooving machine.

Grooved plywood panels have a need in present industry for use in such fields as wall panels, door faces and the like. Such plywood panels may be of different dimensions but a common width and length is 4 by 8'. These panels are generally three ply veneer and have been finished by a sanding operation to a thickness, in accordance with standard grading, to a given thickness of plus or minus of an inch. This provides for nonuniformity in thickness of the face panels. The said face panels or one of them is to be grooved (and preferably not into the core stock) and the grooves are spaced apart in different patterns such as 3 inches, 5 inches, 7 inches, etc. or a combination thereof and the grooves generally extend longitudinally of the panels.

In grooving lumber stock by rotary groovers, normally the stock will be supported by a table and the periphery of the groovers will be extended to a definite distance above the supporting table. However due to the fact that plywood panels are sanded, non-satisfactory grooving obtains by the use of such standard procedures.

With my invention, the plywood is supported by a table and the rotary groovers extend upwardly through slots in the table and to an adjusted distance. Next, the plywood is held down by driven hold-down rolls which are preferably rubber-tired and suchhold down rolls alined with the said slots, adjustable to a predetermined distance above the table top, and preferably the axis of the driven groovers lies substantially in the same vertical plane as the axes of the hold-down rolls.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as the description of the same proceeds and the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described since obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in this art.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view, with parts broken away, showing a device embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a View partly in elevation and partly in section taken substantially on broken line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of the drawings and with parts moved to different positions than those shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a piece of grooved plywood grooved by the device of this invention.

Referring now to the drawings, a base frame comprises spaced apart U-shaped side members 10 and 11 which support side plates 12 and 13. Cross plates 14 and 15 interconnect the U-shaped side members 10 and 11 to provide a sturdy frame base member. Additional bracing may be provided if desired to provide for additional rigidity.

Bearings 16 are supported by the spaced apart U- shaped side members 10 and 11 and in turn the bearings ice 16 support a cross shaft 17. Thus two end bearings 16 support cross shaft 17 and if desired a bearing (not shown) intermediate the length of the cross shaft 17 may be employed for further rigidity to the cross shaft 17 The cross shaft 17 is mounted for rotary motion and the cross shaft 17 fixedly carries a plurality of rotary cutting tools as edge trim saws 18, edge bevel cutters 1'9, and grooving cutters 20. The edge bevel cutters 19 and the grooving cutters 20 are preferably of split construction so that they can be removed from the shaft 17 without removing shaft 17 from bearings 16. -Orie in two edge trim saws 18 may be employed and they are not preferably of split construction.

The end trim saws 18, edge bevel cutters 19, and grooving cutters 20 are detachably secured to the shaft 17 by set screws as for example the set screws 21 employed to detachably secure the grooving cutters 20 to the shaft17. This provides for longitudinal adjustment of the edge bevel cutters 19', grooving cutters 20, and edge trim saws 18 on the shaft 17 when the set screws are loosened and after tightening of the set screws, as set screws 21, the said edge trim saws 13, edge bevel cutters 19, and grooving cutters 20 are rigid with said shaft 17 and are driven when said shaft 17 is driven. Normally only one edge trim saw 18 will be suflicient and there will be one edge bevel cutter for each edge portion of the panel being processed and there will be a desired number of spaced apart grooving cutters 20 dependent upon the pattern desired.

The cross shaft 17 carries a pulley 22 (see Fig. 3) at a suitable longitudinal position thereon so that the pulley 23 connected with an electric motor 24 will be alined with the pulley 22 so that an endless belt 25 maybe employed to transmit the rotary power of a suitable electric motor 24 to the cross shaft 17. The electric motor 24 is suitably mounted by the base frame, as by a base 26 carried by the cross plate 15.

A deck 27 (see Fig. 1) is pivotally supported by spaced apart pivots 28 and the pivots 28 are journaled in brackets 29 and one of the brackets 29 is supported by the U-shaped side member 10 and the other of said brackets 29 is supported in the U-shaped side member 11. Thus the deck 27 may assume the horizontal position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings or the same may be angularly moved to assume the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

In order to adjustedly fix the deck 27 at a desired angular position, bolts 30 have their head portion secured to the deck 27 and at the same time the said bolts 30 are somewhat swingingly mounted as respects the said deck 27. Below the said bolts 30 are brackets 31 carried by the cross plate 14 and having openings in said brackets alined to receive the bolts 30. Nuts 32 are threadedly disposed on the threads of the bolts 30 so that there is one nut 32 above and one nut 32 below each of the supporting plates of the brackets 31 and by appropriate adjustment, of the nuts 32 on each of the bolts 30*, the angular position of the deck 27 may be determined and fixed.

An opening is provided in the deck 27 and such opening is covered by a plate 33. The plate 33 forms a part of the deck member, including the deck 27, and preferably the plate 33 is metallic and is provided with a plurality of spaced apart parallel slots 34. The slots 34 will be spaced apart at intervals of one or two inches or combinations thereof so that all standard grooving patterns desired may be obtained. The slots 34 receive therethrough a cutting portion of the edge trim saws 18, the edge bevelled cutters 19, and the grooving cutters 20. .The amount that the edge bevel cutters 19 and grooving cutters 20 project through said slots 34 depends upon the angular adjustment of the deck 27 as determined by the bolts 30,

nuts 32, and the brackets 31.- In other words, the higher the free end portion of the deck 27 is away from the base, the lesser will be the depth of cutting by the edge bevel cutters 19 and the grooving cutters 20. The end trim saws 18 are of a diameter to completely cut oif and square up each side edge of a panel regardless of the adjusted angular position of the deck 27.

Also the plate 33 is preferably crowned or is of concave-convex configuration in cross section and with the convex side up. This provides for a more rigid plate and prevents the plate 32 from sagging after long usage. The prevention of sagging thus insures positive fixation of the underside of a panel passing over the plate 33 relative to the periphery of the rotary driven edge bevel cutters 19 and grooving cutters 20.

At each side of the deck 29 is an edge guide 35 and each edge guide 35 may be in the form of an angle iron and with one flange thereof disposed vertically. Each of the edge guides 35 is adjustably secured to the deck 27 by providing slotted ears 36, two of which are carried by each edge guide 35. Two cars 37 are carried by the underside of the deck 27 and are provided with openings alined with the slotted openings in the cars 36. A spacer block 38, of a thickness slightly less than the thickness of the deck 27, is provided so that nut and bolt means 39 may be employed to detachably and rigidly connect the cars 36 and 37. If desired, the cars 37 may be the end portion of angle irons extending crosswise and under the deck 27 and secured to the deck 27 to provide the projecting ear portions 37.

'By unloosening the nut and bolt means 39, then the edge guides 35 may be angularly positioned so the vertical plate or flange of each is parallel to the other and parallel to the grooves or bevels provided by the grooving cutters 20, and edge bevel cutters l9 and also so that said flange of the edge guides 35 is parallel to the cut produced by the edge trim saws 18.

There are two spaced apart hold-down arms 40 and each has an end portion pivotally connected by pivots 41 with the brackets 29. The spaced apart hold-down arms 40 are interconnected by a cross brace 42. A plate 43 is secured to the cross brace 42 and to one of the hold-down arms 40, as by welding. The other end portion of the cross brace 42 is secured to the other hold-down arm 40 by welding and thus a rather rigid structure obtains and which is pivotally mounted to the deck 27 as by pivots 41. Also preferably the cross brace 42 passes substantia ly centrally of the plate 43. The plate 4-3 functions as a motor mount for the end brackets 44 which carry electric motor 45. A cross shaft 46 is journaled in bearings 47, which bearings are mounted on the spaced apart hold-down arms 40 and thus mount the cross shaft 46 for rotary motion. The cross shaft 46 carries a pulley 48 which is alined with a pulley 49 carried by the shaft of electric motor 45. Belt means 50 interconnect the pulleys 48 and 49 to transmit the power from the driven shaft of motor 45 to the driven cross shaft 46. Mounted on the cross shaft 46 are a plurality of hold-down rolls 51 and preferably each of the hold-down rolls 51 has a hard set screw 53 carried by each of the hold-down rolls 51.

The cross shaft -16 is preferably vertically alined with the cross shaft 17 and thus any upward thrust by an edge bevel cutter or a grooving cutter may be directly resisted by a hold-down roll 51 which is driven and which is mounted on a shaft which is vertically alined with the shaft driving the said bevel cutter or grooving cutter.

The hold-down arms 49 and parts connected therewith are pivotally connected at one end portion by pivots 41 to the brackets 29, which brackets also carry the deck 27. The other end portion of the hold-down assembly and namely the cross brace 42 are detachably secured to parts connected with the deck 27. Thus the cross brace 42 may be provided with bolts 54 similar to bolts 30. Then brackets 55 similar to brackets 31 may be carried by the deck 27 and nuts 56 similar to nuts 32 may be provided. Thus the hold-down arms and parts carried thereby are pivoted for angular adjusted positions relative to the deck 27 (thereby adjusting the vertical position of the holddown rolls '51 relative to the deck 27) and the deck 27 is pivoted for angular adjusted positions relative to the shaft 17 and cutters carried thereby (thus adjusting the amount the grooving cutters 20 project through the slots 34 in the plate 33 forming a part of the deck 27).

In Fig. 4, I have shown a typical panel grooved by the machine of my invention and the edge grooves 57 are formed by edge groovers 19, the intermediate grooves 58 are formed by groovers 2d, and the edges 59 are cut by the saws 18. I

From the foregoing it will now be apparent that I have provided a panel grooving machine to provide grooves intermediate the edges of a panel or bevels on theedges of a panel, both of which are merely forms of grooves. Next I have provided a panel supporting table as the deck 27 which has slots therethrough such as the parallel slots 34 in the plate 33. Each of the slots 34 is adapted to have a portion of a cutter such as one of the grooving cutters 20 to have its periphery project through the slot and to groove a panel or piece of material supported on the deck 27. Next I have provided means for moving the deck to adjusted positions relative to the rotary cutting means such as by pivoting the deck 27 on the pivots 28. Next any adjusted position can be maintained by the bolts 30, brackets 31, and nuts 32. Next I have provided driven hold-down rolls such as hold-down rolls 51 which are preferably provided with a hard rubber tire. These hold-down rolls 51 are driven and they are adjustable toward and away from the deck 27 as by the pivots 41 and by the bolts 54, brackets 55, and the nuts 56. Next preferably the axis of the cross shaft 17, which carries the various rotary cutter mechanisms, and the axis of the cross shaft 46, which carries the various driven hold-down rolls, lie in substantially a common vertical plane. This provides for a direct thrust against the said hold-down rolls 51.

Obviously changes may be made in the forms, dimensions and arrangements of the parts of my invention Without departing from the principle thereof, the above setting forth only a preferred form of embodiment of my invention.

I claim:

1. A panel grooving machine comprising a base frame; a rotatably driven first shaft mounted on said base frame; grooving cutters rigidly mounted on said first driven shaft; a panel supporting table, having slots therein, each slot being adaptedto have a portion of a grooving cutter projected therethrough; means adjustably mounting said table on said base frame and said grooving cutters carried thereby to thereby determine the extent of projection of said grooving cutters through the slots in the panel supporting table; a rotatably driven second shaft parallel to said first shaft; adjustable means mounting said second shaft and determining relative fixed positions between the axes of the first and second shafts; and hold-down rolls rigidly mounted on said second shaft and alined with said slots in said table and disposed above said table a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the panel being grooved.

2. A panel grooving machine comprising a base frame; a rotatably driven first shaft mounted on said base frame; grooving cutters rigidly mounted on said first driven shaft; a panel supporting table, having slots therein, each slot being adapted to have a portion of a grooving cutter projected therethrough, and being pivotally mounted at one end portion on said base frame; adjustable means securing the other end portion of said table to said base frame and at an adjusted position,

to thereby determine the extent of projection of said grooving cutters through the slots in the panel supporting table; a rotatably driven second shaft parallel to said first shaft; adjustable means mounting said second shaft and determining relative fixed positions between the axes of the first and second shafts; and hold-down rolls rigidly mounted on said second shaft and alined with said slots in said table and disposed above said table a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the panel being grooved.

3. A panel grooving machine comprising abase frame; a rotatably driven shaft mounted on said base frame; grooving cutters rigidly mounted on said driven shaft; a panel supporting table, having slots therein, each slot being adapted to have a portion of a grooving cutter projected therethrough; means adjustably mounting said table on said base frame, to thereby determine the extent of projection of said grooving cutters through the slots in the panel supporting table; a hold-down roll mounting assembly; means adjustably mounting said hold-down roll mounting assembly on said table to space the same apart an adjusted distance; and driven rotatable hold-down rolls alined with said slots in said table and carried by said hold-down roll mounting assembly.

4. A panel grooving machine comprising a base frame; a rotatable driven shaft mounted on said base frame; grooving cutters rigidly mounted on said driven shaft; a panel supporting table, having slots therein, each slot being adapted to have a portion of a grooving cutter projected therethrough; means adjustably mounting said table on said base frame to thereby determine the extent of projection of said grooving cutters through the slots in the panel supporting table; a hold-down roll mounting assembly pivotally mounted at one end portion to said table; adjustable means securing the other end portion of said mounting assembly to said table and at an adjusted position, to determine the relative elevation of the hold-down rolls to the table; and driven rotatable hold-down rolls alined with said slots in said table and carried by said hold-down roll mounting assembly.

5. A panel grooving machine comprising a base frame; a rotatably driven shaft mounted on said base frame; grooving cutters rigidly mounted on said driven shaft; a panel supporting table, having slots therein through which a portion of said cutters may be projected; driven rotatable hold-down rolls alined with said slots in said table and disposed above said table a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the panel being grooved; and adjustable mounting means for said hold-down rolls determining relative fixed positions be tween the axes of the hold-down rolls and of the driven shaft.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein the supporting table having slots therein comprises a supporting table and a plate having a convex surface portion and having slots therein and which plate is disposed with the convex surface portion thereof upwardly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 32,871 Hunt July 23, 1861 417,216 Bailey Dec. 17, 1889 429,170 Flanders June 3, 1890 544,121 Pugh Aug. 6, 1895 547,260 Hinternesch Oct. 1, 1895 1,584,028 Gottschalk May 11, 1926 1,952,926 Kramer Mar. 27, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS 268,931 Great Britain Apr. 14, 1927 280,484 Great Britain Nov. 17, 1927 1,131,949 France Oct. 29, 1956 

